| 88th Separate Rifle Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Soldiers of the 88th Separate Rifle Brigade. | |
| Active | 22 July 1942 – 12 October 1945 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  Korea.svg) Chinese Communist Party |
| Branch | Soviet Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Nickname(s) | Military Unit 8461 |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major GeneralZhou Baozhong |
The88th Separate Rifle Brigade (Russian:88-я отдельная стрелковая бригада,Korean:제88독립보병여단,Chinese:苏联远东方面军独立第88步兵旅), also known as theNortheast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces Teaching Brigade or the88th International Brigade, was an international military unit of theRed Army created duringWorld War II. It was unique in that it incorporated the peoples ofKorea,China, andSoviet Central Asia in its ranks.[1]
This unit was founded on 22 July 1942, to accommodate the remaining forces of theNortheast Anti-Japanese United Army, who were exiled to the Soviet Union after being driven by theImperial Japanese Army toManchuria during the war.[2][3] The brigade was replenished with Soviet citizens of Chinese and Korean descent, reaching around 1,500 people. Although it was a Soviet military unit, it kept its original organization that existed in the NAJUA. Located in theFar East, it was under the control of theSoviet 25th Army. Chinese Lieutenant ColonelZhou Baozhong was the first commander.[4][5][6] The brigade was made up ofChinese andKoreans, deployed in camps "A" and "B" in the suburbs ofKerki in theTurkmen SSR. Captain Kim Song-ju, later known asKim Il Sung, took command of the 1st Korean Battalion. The brigade was stationed in the village ofVyatskoye on theAmur River inKhabarovsk Krai. In 1943, GeneralIosif Apanasenko gave the brigade its official unit number.[6] The brigade was never put into combat, as it was to fulfill only intelligence-sabotage tasks againstJapan, with small armed groups transferred to Manchuria and Korea.[2] In addition to intelligence and sabotage training, they underwent intensive ideological training.[citation needed] After a reorganization in April 1944, the brigade consisted of the following:
In mid-1945, the brigade was directly subordinated to the staff of the5th Rifle Corps of the newly-formed2nd Far Eastern Front.[7] In July 1945, the brigade command developed a plan to attack a separate 100-strong detachment in Manchuria, but it was not implemented.[2] The unit also failed to enter any major combat on August 9, when theRed Armyinvasion of Manchuria began, leaving the 88th in the 25th Army's reserve. As a result, the brigade commander sent an unsuccessful request to the front commander, GeneralMaksim Purkayev, for a transfer to the hostilities.[2] By the end of August, the unit had liberated many villages in North East China.[2] The brigade was officially disbanded on 12 October 1945.[2][6] The ethnic Chinese returned to China to fight in theChinese Civil War,[6] whereas the Koreans were transported to Northern Korea to serve as part of theProvisional People's Committee of North Korea.[2] Many members of the unit went on to serve in theKorean People's Army.[citation needed]
Notable members have included:
Ten fighters of the 88th Brigade, including the brigade commander and battalion commander Kim Il Sung, were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Others were awarded the following awards:[9]
There are heritage sites located on the territory of the Khabarovsk Krai dedicated to the brigade. A burial site is located on the territory of the Khabarovsk Municipal District on a road leading to the village of Vyatskoye.[10] A copy of the military banner of the brigade is kept inVladivostok, next to a copy of theVictory Banner.[9]